Desalination is a process by which an amount of at least one salt is removed from an aqueous stream. For example, seawater, brackish water, flowback water, industrial wastewater, and/or water produced from oil and gas extraction processes can be desalinated to produce fresh water suitable for human consumption, irrigation, and/or industrial use.
As the world's population has expanded, the demand for fresh water has increased. Desalination may play a role in satisfying this increased demand. In addition, desalination may play a role in recycling wastewater that has been produced by various human processes (e.g., industrial processes, oil and gas extraction processes), thereby mitigating the need to dispose of such wastewater. Accordingly, improved desalination systems and methods are desirable.